Most children lose their first baby tooth between ages 6 and 7. The lower front teeth almost always go first, followed by the upper front teeth shortly after. The entire process takes years, with the last baby teeth falling out around age 11 to 13.
The Full Timeline, Tooth by Tooth
Baby teeth fall out in roughly the same order they came in. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s 2025 guidelines, here’s what to expect:
- Lower central incisors (bottom front teeth): 6 to 7 years
- Upper central incisors (top front teeth): 7 to 8 years
- Lower lateral incisors: 7 to 8 years
- Upper lateral incisors: 8 to 9 years
- Lower canines: 9 to 11 years
- Upper first molars: 9 to 11 years
- Lower first molars: 10 to 12 years
- Upper canines: 11 to 12 years
- Upper second molars: 9 to 12 years
- Lower second molars: 11 to 13 years
These ranges are wide for a reason. A child who loses their first tooth at 5 and another who doesn’t until nearly 8 can both be perfectly normal. Girls tend to lose teeth slightly earlier than boys, and genetics play a significant role. If you lost your baby teeth early, your child likely will too.
Why Baby Teeth Fall Out
A baby tooth doesn’t just loosen and drop on its own. The permanent tooth developing underneath sends chemical signals that trigger specialized cells to slowly dissolve the baby tooth’s root. This process works through the same biological system the body uses to remodel bone throughout life. As the root dissolves, the baby tooth loses its anchor in the jawbone. That’s the wiggle your child feels, and it gets progressively looser over days or weeks until the tooth comes free.
This is why baby teeth that fall out naturally look hollow at the bottom. The root has been almost entirely absorbed by the time the tooth lets go. It’s a remarkably precise process: the permanent tooth essentially carves its own path upward while dismantling the tooth above it.
The Six-Year Molars Are Different
Around age 6, your child will get four new permanent molars that don’t replace any baby teeth at all. These “six-year molars” erupt behind the last baby teeth in each row, in open space at the back of the jaw. Many parents mistake them for baby teeth or don’t notice them coming in. They’re worth paying attention to because they’re permanent teeth that need to last a lifetime, and they arrive at an age when kids aren’t always thorough brushers.
When a Permanent Tooth Grows Behind a Baby Tooth
Sometimes a permanent tooth pushes through the gum before the baby tooth in front of it has fallen out, creating what looks like a second row of teeth. Dentists call these “shark teeth,” and they’re one of the most common reasons parents call a pediatric dentist in a panic. It happens when the baby tooth’s root doesn’t dissolve on schedule, so the permanent tooth finds an alternate route.
In many cases, the baby tooth will still loosen and fall out on its own within a few weeks, and the permanent tooth will drift forward into the correct position. If the baby tooth stays stubbornly in place, a dentist can extract it to make room. Left unaddressed for too long, shark teeth can lead to misalignment that may eventually need orthodontic correction. But caught early, it’s usually a simple fix.
What Happens if a Baby Tooth Is Lost Too Early
When a baby tooth falls out on schedule, the permanent tooth is usually close behind, ready to fill the gap. But when a baby tooth is lost prematurely, whether from decay, an injury, or infection, the neighboring teeth can drift into the empty space. This crowding can block the permanent tooth from coming in straight or at all.
To prevent this, dentists sometimes place a space maintainer, a small metal device that holds the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to emerge. Space maintainers are most commonly used when a baby molar is lost early, since those teeth aren’t replaced until age 9 to 13 and the gap needs to be held open for years. They do require extra attention to oral hygiene, as they can trap plaque, but the tradeoff is avoiding more complex orthodontic problems later.
Early and Late Tooth Loss
If your child loses a tooth before age 4 with no obvious cause like a fall, it’s worth a dental visit. Very early tooth loss can occasionally signal an underlying condition or nutritional issue. On the other end, if your child still hasn’t lost any teeth by age 8, a dentist can take an X-ray to check that permanent teeth are developing normally beneath the gums. In most cases, late losers are simply on the slower end of the normal range, but missing or impacted permanent teeth do occur and are easier to manage when caught early.
Some children lose teeth in a slightly different order than the textbook sequence, and that’s also normal. The overall timing matters more than the exact order. As long as teeth are gradually loosening and falling out within the general age windows, the process is on track.